The Skagit River Bridge in Washington state that collapsed Thursday evening, was described as "functionally obsolete" by the Federal Highway Administration last year, which meant it was structurally sound, but had an outdated design, NBC News reported. The bridge did not hold up, however, when a truck with an oversize load struck it, collapsing the bridge and plunging cars into the water. Officials are working to determine what exactly happened and are trying to reroute the traffic without disrupting communities near the bridge. The collapse of the bridge along Interstate-5, the main freeway that runs up and down the West Coast between the Canadian and Mexican borders, could cost around $47 million due to lost economic output, NBC News reported. On Thursday, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee said if a bailey bridge is found, a temporary fix could be in place in weeks. If a replacement can't be quickly secured, it could be months before a replacement bridge can be built, he said.
